"As African- American same-gender loving men and women, we can no longer allow our white gay brothers and sisters to champion our cause as they fight and campaign courageously for marriage equality and Civil Rights – things every American citizen, no matter what their sexual orientation rightfully deserves!

If we continue to make statements like “Man that is just not my thing or I don’t attend those kind of events” we help to perpetuate the myth that white America has somehow infected the black community with a demented, sinful lifestyle that is unique to them, that somehow demeans and perverts our culture and true masculinity. I know this may sound strange to you but you would be surprised at how many African-American conservatives actually believe that we have chosen to love someone of the same gender because some white man or white woman has bewitched us and somehow brainwashed us because there is no way we as black people could ever be born gay.

There is no doubt in my mind that much of the reason for hiding in the past was that we feared rejection from our families, pastors, church congregations, peers and even the loss of our jobs, not to mention the disdain and stigma associated with being gay! But what we failed to realize was that the price of hiding in the shadows was too costly, for it destroyed our self-esteem, allowed others to rob us of our God-given constitutional rights and prevented us from establishing and maintaining wholesome, meaningful relationships.

Many of us were willing to compromise our moral standards and opted for brief sexual encounters that only temporarily satisfied our lust but left us unfulfilled inside because it was easier to do it in the shadows."